Novorossiysk Naval Base
Facility Overview
Novorossiysk Naval Base is a principal installation of the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet located in Novorossiysk, Krasnodar Krai, on Tsemess (Novorossiysk) Bay. It functions as a primary homeport for diesel-electric submarines and hosts the 4th Separate Submarine Brigade (military unit 95200), the 136th PDSS Counteraction Special Purpose Detachment (military unit 75976), and the 1066th Technical Service Center (military unit 06992). Core functions include submarine basing and support, ordnance handling, and harbor security.
Location and Geographic Context
The base lies on the northern shore of Tsemess Bay at approximately 44.72 N, 37.79 E. The harbor is ice-free year-round and adjoins one of Russia’s largest commercial ports, including oil and grain terminals. The site benefits from road and rail connectivity via the North Caucasus Railway network and regional highways, but is exposed to strong bora winds in colder months, a known local phenomenon that can affect mooring and port operations.
Unit Structure and Roles
Subordination is to the Black Sea Fleet headquartered at Sevastopol. The 4th Separate Submarine Brigade (m/u 95200) commands the Fleet’s diesel-electric submarines based in the Black Sea. The 136th PDSS Counteraction Special Purpose Detachment (m/u 75976) provides underwater security, anti-sabotage defense, and explosive ordnance disposal within the base area. The 1066th Technical Service Center (m/u 06992) supports technical maintenance, ordnance storage and preparation, and submarine-specific sustainment functions.
Order of Battle – 4th Separate Submarine Brigade (m/u 95200)
Assigned submarines include one Project 877 Paltus diesel-electric submarine B-871 Alrosa (commissioned 1990; returned to service after overhaul in 2022) and six Project 636.3 Varshavyanka diesel-electric submarines: B-261 Novorossiysk (2014), B-237 Rostov-na-Donu (2014), B-262 Stary Oskol (2015), B-265 Krasnodar (2015), B-268 Velikiy Novgorod (2016), and B-271 Kolpino (2016). These boats operate from Novorossiysk and other Black Sea Fleet facilities as required.
Platform Capabilities – Project 636.3 Varshavyanka
The Project 636.3 class has a submerged displacement of roughly 3,900–4,000 tons (about 2,350 tons surfaced), a length of about 73.8 m, and a beam near 9.9 m. Maximum submerged speed is approximately 20 knots, with a range on diesel-snorkel of roughly 7,500 nautical miles at economical speed and an endurance up to about 45 days. Armament comprises six 533 mm torpedo tubes with up to 18 torpedoes or mines, and the ability to launch Kalibr 3M14 land-attack and 3M54 anti-ship cruise missiles via the torpedo tubes. Sensor fit commonly includes the MGK-400EM sonar suite. Typical crew is approximately 52.
Platform Capabilities – Project 877 Paltus (B-871 Alrosa)
Project 877 submarines have a submerged displacement around 3,000 tons (approximately 2,300 tons surfaced), a length of about 72.6 m, and a submerged speed up to roughly 17 knots. Standard armament is six 533 mm torpedo tubes for torpedoes and mines. B-871 Alrosa was originally built with a pump-jet propulsion system rather than a conventional propeller, a unique characteristic among Russian diesel-electric submarines. Endurance is on the order of several weeks without external support, with range and sustainability determined by battery capacity and diesel-snorkel operations.
Security and Counter-Sabotage – 136th PDSS Detachment (m/u 75976)
The 136th PDSS detachment is responsible for underwater and close-harbor security, including anti-frogman defense, inspection of hulls and piers, boom and net management, diver operations, and explosive ordnance disposal in the base area. Russian Navy PDSS units employ specialized weapons such as DP-64 and DP-65 anti-saboteur grenade launchers and diver-detection systems; across the Navy, PDSS units are commonly supported by dedicated anti-saboteur patrol craft (for example, Project 21980) and fixed or mobile diver-detection sonars. These measures provide layered protection of submarine berths, approaches, and ordnance handling zones.
Technical Support and Ordnance – 1066th Technical Service Center (m/u 06992)
The 1066th Technical Service Center provides technical maintenance and ordnance support for submarines and other base units. Functions include storage, preparation, testing, and loading of submarine munitions (torpedoes, mines, and torpedo-tube–launched cruise missiles), maintenance and charging of submarine batteries, provision of high-pressure air, lubricants and fuels, and instrumentation support for torpedo and combat systems benches. The center also implements munitions safety procedures and technical inspections in accordance with Russian Navy regulations.
Base Infrastructure and Berthing Facilities
Novorossiysk hosts dedicated submarine berthing and support infrastructure within Tsemess Bay, including protected piers, shore-power and communications hookups, and access to maintenance and ordnance-handling areas. Tug support, floating cranes, and utility services are available through the naval base and adjacent commercial port. Major overhauls for submarines are typically conducted at larger shipyards outside Novorossiysk, while routine and intermediate maintenance is performed pier-side or at local naval support facilities.
Logistics and Access
The naval base adjoins extensive dual-use logistics infrastructure at the Port of Novorossiysk, with proximate road and rail links that support the movement of personnel, fuel, stores, and munitions. The area includes large commercial terminals and storage facilities. This colocation facilitates sustainment but requires strict segregation and security controls around military berths and technical zones.
Operational Employment and Activity
Black Sea Fleet Project 636.3 submarines have been employed for precision strike and sea-denial missions. The class has publicly conducted Kalibr cruise-missile strikes from both the Black Sea and the Mediterranean since 2015 (for example, strikes into Syria announced by the Russian Ministry of Defense in December 2015) and has been repeatedly used for long-range land-attack strikes during the war against Ukraine since 2022. Boats of the 4th Separate Submarine Brigade have rotated between patrols, training, port periods at Black Sea Fleet bases, and, before 2022, periodic deployments to the Eastern Mediterranean.
Threat Environment and Incident History
On 4 August 2023, the Ropucha-class landing ship Olenegorsky Gornyak was damaged by an uncrewed surface vessel near Novorossiysk, demonstrating the vulnerability of the northeastern Black Sea littoral to stand-off and unmanned attacks. On 13 September 2023, a separate strike against Sevastopol’s dry dock facility caused severe damage to the submarine B-237 Rostov-na-Donu while in dock, affecting a unit of this brigade. These events underscore a contested maritime environment for Black Sea Fleet basing and repair sites.
Legal-Regulatory Considerations
The Montreux Convention Regarding the Regime of the Straits governs warship passage between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. Submarines face specific restrictions on transit, generally limited to transfers to and from construction or repair with notification to Turkey. On 28 February 2022, Turkey announced closure of the Bosporus and Dardanelles to warships of belligerent states under Article 19, constraining rotations of Russian naval units, including submarines, between the Black Sea and the Mediterranean except under noted convention provisions.
Environmental and Navigational Factors
Tsemess Bay is a semi-enclosed water area with established channels leading to the port and naval berths. The region is known for strong bora winds, particularly in colder seasons, which can complicate shiphandling and pier operations. The harbor is otherwise ice-free and supports year-round naval activity.
Current Status Notes (as of publicly available reporting to late 2024)
B-871 Alrosa re-entered active service in 2022 after a prolonged overhaul. B-237 Rostov-na-Donu sustained severe damage in the Sevastopol dry dock attack on 13 September 2023 and has been reported as non-operational pending repair. Other Project 636.3 boats assigned to the brigade have continued routine cycles of patrol, training, and port periods within the Black Sea theater; detailed operational schedules and readiness states are not publicly disclosed.
Information Availability
Exact pier configurations, ordnance inventory levels, detailed security system specifications, and current operational tasking for the units identified (m/u 95200, m/u 75976, m/u 06992) are not publicly disclosed. The information provided here is limited to verifiable public data on unit designations, platform types and capabilities, general basing, and documented incidents.